


The Strength to Hold Me

by saisei



Series: IgNoct Week 2019 [8]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Magic, Ring of the Lucii (Final Fantasy XV), Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 21:17:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20121817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saisei/pseuds/saisei
Summary: They leave Ignis behind in Altissia. He follows Noct anyway. (for IgNoct Week Day 8: Sacrifice)





	The Strength to Hold Me

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Ceremony by New Order.

They leave Ignis behind in Altissia. He couldn't keep up with them on the road, much less in a fight with daemons, or against Ardyn. Gladio has a bunch of cruelly blunt arguments, but mentioning Ardyn makes Noct agree. Ignis already faced him once, for Noct, and Noct can't bear the thought of making him do it again.

"Which wasn't the cleverest decision of yours," Ignis says, when Noct puts on the ring in Gralea and Ignis materializes in a flash of purple light to help him fight through the waves of daemons and rogue MTs. "A king needs to have faith."

A surge of grief-fueled rage gives Noct the strength he needs to snatch the life away from the last few imps standing, and then he drops his arm, panting and drained. The ring on his finger seems to throb like it has a heartbeat of its own. Ignis crosses to him, walking through the armor of fallen MTs, and claps his hand around Noct's shoulder. Cool, sweet healing flows from him, and Noct stumbles away, breaking the touch.

Ignis stares at him. Or at least Noct assumes he does. His eyes are gone, the sockets filled with violet fire.

"You were supposed to _live_," Noct bursts out, the last word a shout that rings off the corridor walls. "I'd have been able to do this if I knew you were safe and well. Not – what – dead on the dock just minutes after we said goodbye?"

"I did my utmost to not inconvenience anyone with my passing," Ignis says stiffly. "Considering I couldn't risk the news reaching you before you put on the ring and I could explain in person. Or. Well." He looks down through his own hands, turning them over before him like a curiosity.

"You are such an asshole," Noct says, and he shouldn't be crying. Kings don't cry, do they? "A _dead_ asshole, and I don't know how I can love you when you keep doing these things."

"A mystery for the ages," Ignis says. "Though perhaps we're even, as everything I've done and will do is for love of you."

"What are we going to do?" Noct asks, plaintive, even though he knows the answer.

Ignis holds out his hand like a supplicant. "Find Gladio and Prompto. Restore the Armiger and defeat Ardyn. Use the power of the crystal and the ring to halt the starscourge."

"And die trying," Noct mutters. He clasps the hand with the ring around Ignis'. There's a slight jolt, magic meeting magic, and he tells himself he can feel Ignis' grip. He loves – _loved_ – Ignis' hands on him, the care they bestowed, holding him like he was treasured.

"It's not as bad as you might imagine," Ignis offers, after a moment.

Noct thinks it's probably worse, but he nods, and leads Ignis onward towards their destiny.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't plan on writing for IgNoct week, but this was the first story idea that came into my head, and as it was day 8, I had to write the other seven... one a day... Needless to say, it's been a busy week, thank you for reading along!


End file.
